Avoiding the pitfalls of employee gifting

02:00 PM, 09 07, 2017

Avoiding the pitfalls of employee gifting

Whilst it’s always fun to reward and recognize, giving gifts to employees requires a lot of planning and proper execution to ensure that the overall effect isn’t a let-down. That’s not to say that without the right guidance, choosing an employee gift or rewards can’t be pain free! We wanted to take a look at the pitfalls you need to avoid when it comes to saying thanks at work.

Not meeting the expectations of employees

If you give gifts to your employees on specific occasions every year, their expectation level increases. It’s natural for humans to quickly adapt to our surroundings! This is why small and irregular, or large and unexpected rewards are all ideal for putting the spark back into work and reminding employees that rewards are just that – perks for great behaviour or results.

Poor quality rewards

It can be very hard to buy expensive, showy gifts if you have a large business with many employees, or a small budget to play with. Instead of thinking about the value of the gift, consider switching your focus to finding gifts that instead suit your company and its image. This could mean a classic pen if you’re a traditional business, a luxury retailer gift card if you sell the finer things in life, or a supermarket eCode if your business is down to earth. If you opt for cheap stuff to avoid spending a lot or just pick things that other companies give, it wastes your money in the long run. This is why many businesses order gift cards for business in bulk. They have the flexibility of choosing from retailers that align with their brand, with multiple options when it comes to value and even delivery.

Giving rewards to a select group of employees

Performance-based rewards can backfire because those employees who are not rewarded start to feel demotivated and discouraged. Some people give up when facing adversity and this of course can have a negative impact on their targets and overall morale. Instead of rewarding only a few employees, you should look at ways to thank people regularly for their own unique efforts and skills. They will be satisfied that their work is being appreciated and you will get more out of everyone, instead of the cream of the crop. Again, whilst this might sound scarily expensive – an eCode or a top up of a digital gift card can mean that you spend less than the cost of a high street cappuccino – with results that last.

There you have it - some basic pitfalls which should be avoided at all costs while incentivizing your employees! If we’ve put gift cards or eCodes on your radar, then don’t forget you can place an order for bulk gift cards from SVM Global. Whether you decide to keep a store of gift cards for spot rewards, make a bulk order after a project completion or just pick some up to say thanks, with SVM Global, the selection, ordering and delivery of eGifts, Gift Codes and Gift Cards for 100’s of suppliers and retailers across the world couldn’t be easier!

We also offer a range of technical solutions for ongoing reward and recognition in your businesses.